With cool temperatures invading weekend football tailgating and deer camps across the nation, try these comfort food recipes from Outdoor Channel celebrities to keep you warm and in good spirits

No one truly knows the origins of chili. The earliest reference belongs to American Indian legend, which dates back to the 1600s when the Jumano Indians of present-day western Texas saw visions of a “lady in blue,” "La Dama de Azul," who taught them how to cook a spicy red stew of venison, onion, tomatoes and chili peppers.

Food historians attributed this mysterious lady to Sister Mary of Agreda, a nun who actually never left her convent in Spain but would plunge into religious rapture for days, during which angels transported her spirit to spread the word of God in the New World, all the while bestowing to the natives a recipe that would later become known to Texans as chile con carne.

Other hypotheses exist concerning the origin of chili, but I found this one to be most interesting; it credits the first chili made to venison.

A quintessentially American dish, with influences from south of the border and possibly across the sea, chili has played an important role in nourishing cowboys, adventurers, and outlaws on the Western frontier. Its popularity took off by the end of the Civil War, and by World War II, family-run chili parlors existed all over Texas and other states to provide cheap meals for the poor during the Great Depression.

One hundred fifty years later, the dish’s identity has not changed. Today, chili recipes remain easy, inexpensive and unassuming — a dish that is still enjoyed by many. Though typically cooked with beef, venison chili is a no-brainer among hunters. It’s every bit as delicious as beef chili and healthier, too — at least before all the shredded cheese and sour cream is added.

Take a look at these delicious venison chili recipes from the Outdoor Channel stars. Save them in your recipe box; you’ll need them when the weather grows cold.

1. Line a cupcake tin with baking cups, and using your favorite cornbread recipe, bake six cupcakes.

2. In a pan, brown ground venison and add preferred chili seasoning packet, one can of diced tomatoes and one can of black beans. Combine and let simmer for 20 minutes. Quantities may vary depending on size of your crowd.

3. With a spoon, scoop out the center of each cornbread muffin. Place a dollop of chili into each center. Add desired toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese and chopped green onion. Enjoy!

1. Slice a venison steak into bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a sauté pan and brown venison. Add a packet of your favorite chili seasoning, one can of diced tomatoes and one can of black beans.

1. Sauté the meat, onions, garlic, and if you like spicy, peppers. Add a can of stewed tomatoes— any variety. Add 1 can of tomato juice and 1 tablespoon of chili powder; add more chili powder if desired. Add 1 beef bouillon cube.

2. Optional: Some people don’t care for beans. If you do like beans, any variation of would be good. I add chili beans and/or kidney beans. I also like black beans, too. Simmer chili for one hour, and then take off heat and let sit until ready to eat. Top with shredded cheese, chopped peppers, or a favorite in our house is corn chips.

Drury’s ‘Always Different’ Venison Chili

“My wife wanted to add that she never follows this recipe directly, but this is more or less the basic recipe. You’ll notice she doesn’t use beans—that’s because I’m a baby and don’t like them :) LOL. Her chili is always different and always TASTY!”

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground venison

2 (8-ounce) cans of tomato sauce

2 cans of diced tomato (the kind with chili seasoning)

1 (10-ounce) can of Rotel

1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Chili powder

1/3 cup of brown sugar

Directions:

1. Brown the meat and season with salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder to taste. Drain grease off and return meat to pot.

2. Dump in tomato sauce, diced tomato, Rotel and tomato paste. Add 1/3 cup of brown sugar and season again with onion and chili powder to taste.